RADA Recommends Systemic Pesticides to Treat Plants Post Heavy Rains

The Rural Agricultural Development Authority (RADA) is recommending that farmers use systemic pesticides, in anticipation of increases in moisture and rainfall.

Senior Plant Health and Food Safety Officer with RADA, Ms. Francine Webb, told JIS News that unlike contact pesticides, systemic pesticides work through ingestion by the plant.

“Once you are anticipating increased moisture with increased rainfall, from your hurricane or storms, you want to make the switch over to systemic pesticides,” she said.

“When you talk about preparedness for hurricanes and for increased moisture in general, you look at the likelihood of increased diseases, because of the additional moisture that is there, which makes conditions more favourable for diseases to develop within your field,” Ms. Webb noted.

She pointed out that systemic pesticides also last a little longer within the plant system and are better able to assist with the disease management.

“Farmers, in your rotation system you also want to look at what your prevailing weather conditions are to make that switch. So, within your chemical rotation plan, you want to also have those on board, so that you can make that switch at the appropriate time to better protect your crops,” Ms. Webb said.

Systemic pesticides control pests when applied to one area of a plant. The pesticide eventually moves throughout the entire plant.